William hill barnum



(No Model.)

W. H. BARNUM.

MACHINE FOR STIPFENING HATS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

I/VILLIAM HILL BARNUM, OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TC CHARLES I-I. MERRITT, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR STIFFENING HATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 476,860, dated .Tune 14, 1892.

Application filed December 18, 1891. Serial No. 415,448- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM HILL BAR- NUM, of Danbury, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Machines for Stiifening Hats, of which the following is a specification.

This machine is particularly adapted to applying stitfening to the edge portion of a hatbrim.

I will `describe a machine embodying my improvement, and then point out the novel features in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a machine embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan or top View of the machine with a portion of the table broken away. Fig. 3 is a plan View, on a larger scale, of aportionof a distributing-tank comprised in the machine. Fig. 4. is a vertical section taken at the plane of the dotted line et et, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken at the plane ofthe dotted line 5 5, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of a journal-box.

Similar letters of reference designate correspending parts in all the figures;

A designates a distributing-tank containing stii'fening material, into which a hat-brim is caused to travel.

B B2 designate rollers by which the hatbrim is moved.

The distributing-tank A is mounted upon a table C, which may be supported in any Suitablev manner. On the table C is also mounted a reservoir D, containing stiffening material. In the upper part of this reservoir is a sieve d, through which the stiffening material may be strained when introduced into the reservoir. In the lower portion this reservoir is furnished with a faucet CZ', by means of which the stilfenin g material may be caused to flow in any desired quantity from the reservoir in the distributing-tank. The faucet will be kept open to such a degree as to maintain the stiffening material in the distributing-tank at the desired level.

It will be seen that the distributingtank has a large portion or body a and a narrow portion a2 extending therefrom. This narrow portion extends between shafts upon which the rollers B B'2 are mounted. The outer extremity of the narrow portion a2 is provided with an outlet a3, from which the surplus st-ifl'ening material will be discharged. This outlet, as shown, consists of a tube fastened to the end of the distributing-tank and having an opening near the top of lthe said tank.

In the narrow part of the distributing-tank a2 are twoV pieces of sponge or like material CL4 a5, between which the edge portion of a hatbrim may pass. These pieces of sponge or other material may be held in place in any suitable manner-as, for instance, in atroughshaped piece a of sheet metal between lugs a7, extending inwardly from the sides of the narrow portion a2 of the distributing-tank. IVithin the ends of this trough-shaped piece a are blocks of wood or other suitable material a8 a9, which are also held in place by the lugs a7. These blocks are shown as having central openings in their upper edges to per mit of the passage of the edge portion of a hat-brim through them. They also serve to gage the depth to which the hat-brim shall descend into the distributing tank. The pieces of sponge or analogous material regulate the amount of stiffening material which is applied to `the hat-brim.

The main side walls of the narrow portion a2 of the distributing-tank diverge downiwardly. Inside of them are Vertical Walls (Lw at the point where the trough-shaped piece a is inserted. These inner vertical walls form a suitable holder for the trough-shaped piece. The space between them and the outer walls constitute passages 01,12, along which the stiffening mateiial may flow past the pieces of sponge or other material, so as to reach both ends of the latter.

The rollers B B2 are mounted on shafts B3 B4, supported in journal-boxes b b2 b3 b4, arranged So that the shafts will converge toward their roller-engaging ends. The rollers B B2 are slightly conical. The j ournal-boxes b b2 Z13 o" are supported by arms C C2, here shown as extending from one of the supports of the table C.

The shaft B4 is not intended to have any oscillating motion. Hence its journal-boxes may after suitable adjustment be clamped to the arms C C2. The shaft B3 is, however, intended to oscillate so that its roller B may move toward and from the roller B2 during the operation of the machine. Owing to this the lower journal-box b3 of the shaft B3 will be fixed against movement lengthwise of the arm C2; but the upper journal-box b for this shaft B3 will be made capable of moving lengthwise of the arm C.

The means for securing the several journal-boxes to the arms C C2 may be the same. Suitable means are illustrated by Fig. 6, where it will be seen that each journal-box has a cylindricv shank. b5, -having a screwthread upon its outer end for the reception of a nut bi, and that such shank passes through a sleeve bi, which is capable of passing through a slot in an arm C or C2, has a head at one end, and at the other a screw-thread, with which is engaged a nut bs. Obviously by clamping the nut bG upon the shank b5 ot' any journalbox Athe shank of such journal-box will be clamped, so as to be incapable of rotation within its sleeve b?, and it is equally clear that if the nut b8 of the sleeve belonging to any journal-box is tightened to clamp such sleeve to the arm C or C2, whereby it is slipported, such journal-box will be incapable of moving lengthwise of the supportingarm.

The nuts bG b8 belonging to the journalboxes b2 'b4 wherein the shaft B4 is journaled, will be clamped in the manner described, so as to hold these journal-boxes rigidly.

The nut bS belonging to the journal-box b3, 'wherein the shaft B3 is journaled, will be clamped so as to preclude any movement of such journal-box lengthwise of the arm C2; but the nut bi belonging to this journal-box will be left loose enough to permit of the oscillation of the journal-box.

The nuts bG b8 belonging to the journal-box b', wherein the upper portion of the shaft B3 is journaled, are left loose, so that this journal-box b may not only oscillate, but may move lengthwise of the arm C.

The journal-box b has attached to it one end of a strap or like device F, which passes f name to this specification in the presence of 1 two subscribing witnesses.

around a guide-pulleyf, mounted upon the arm C and extends toatreadle. The attendant of the machine may therefore adjust the roller B toward the roller B2 by shifting the treadle.

The shaft B4 may be driven by a belt applied to a pulley B, affixed to said shaft. Ro-

tary motion may be transmitted from this shaft by a gear wheel b9, affixed thereto, through gear-wheels b10 b11 to a gear-wheel b12, affixed to the shaft B3. The gear-wheels bw b11 are mounted upon a stud b21, affixed to a plate bm, supported by the arm C2. This plate is shown as being capable of being clamped in different posit-ions to said arm. Two gearwheels bw b11 are employed, so as to secure motion of the shaft B2 in proper direction relatively to the shaft B4.

E designates a portion of a hat having its brim extended into the narrow portion of the distributing-tank A between the pieces of sponge or analogous material a4 a5 and passed between the rollers B B2.

It will be seen that the edge portion of a hat-brim may be passed between pieces of sponge or like substance saturated with stiffening material and engaged by the rollers B B2, close to the crown of the hat, so as to be fed or moved along.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isfl. In a machine for stiffening hats, the combination, with a distributing-tank for stiftening material constructed to receive a hat-brim of .a pair of rollers adjacent an opening of the tank for engaging a hat-brim and moving it through the stiffening material in said tank,

substantially as specified.

2. In a machine for stiffening hats, the combination of a reservoir for stifenng material, a distributing-tank receiving stiffenin g material from said reservoir and constructed to receive a hat-brim, and rollers adjacent an opening of the tank for engaging a hat-brim and moving it through the stiifening material in the tank, substantially as specified.

3. In a machine for stilfening hats, the combination, with adistriblting-tank for stiffening material constructed to receive a hatbrim, of pieces of sponge in said tank for depositing stiffening material on the hat-brim, and rollers adjacent an opening of the tank for moving a hat-brim through said sponge, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my WILLIAM HILL BARNUM.

Vitnesses:

ELI T. HoYT, FRANK N. LEACH. 

